The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-07-23
Some Balloon Stories.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF PROFESSOR
KING AND THE wIsEs.

aeronautlcs than those Oh Ming ana
Wise. Professor Samuel A. King is
now in his sixtieth year. Since
1851 he has been a practical aero
naut, making his first ascension in
the summer of that year from the
old Geological Garden, in Fair
mount Park. Since then he has
made 2S6 aerial voyages and great
many lesser ascensions. His wife,
who is a quiet, modest little woman,
has made a number Of aseensions
with him and regards ballooning a
much safer mode of travelling than
carriage riding. She is afraid Of
horses, but doesn't mind taking
jaunt through the air mile or so
above the earth. In one of her
trips she once had a narrow escape.
1t was two years ago at Indianapo-
lis. After n remarkably pleasant
ascension the balloon in descending
suddenly swaycd when near the
earth and caught in dead tree.
The sharp branch ripped the bal
loon open causing it to collapse, and
landing the basket in which she and
her husband sat in q fork Of the
tree, sixty feet from the earth. As
quick as thought Professor King
braced the basket with 4 rope, until
he had cut the balloon away, then
dropping another rope tosome farm
hands, he looscned the basket and
was lowered over a limb TO the earth.
Neither he nor his wife received
scratch.
The only time he was ever hurt
was in an ascension from Augusta,
Ga. When he descended the bal
loon caught on Il dead pine and
was torn. lie attempted to descend
by the drag rope, when the balloon
collapsed and came down with a
crash, badly bruising, but otherwise
not hurting him. Some of his voy-
ages, however, have been exceeding
ly pcrilous
SOME THRILLING VOYAGES.
On October II, 1873, he went up
from Scranton, got caught in awind-
storm and came Gown at Oak sta
ton, Montgomery county, 40 miles
from the starting point, the whole
trip consuming but two hours. On
October -, 1881, he made his mem
orable ascension from Chicago with
Hashagen of the Signal Service
Bureau. He was up nineteen
hours, and descended in the Wis
consin wilderness, where he and his
comrade lost their way and suffered
terribly before they again came in
contact with civilization.
One night he was suspended be-
tween sky and earth for 70 hours
over the Maine and Canada wilder
ness. His experience that night
was thrilling and remarkable. The
ascension was made at p. NJ. at
Plymouth, n. H., his companion
being Luther L. Holden, of the Bos-
ton JourndL For six hours they
hung over Il mile above the wilder
ness, the balloon not losing foot of
gas or the car an ounce of ballast.
When they landed next morning
they came down at the head of
new railroad which was being con
structcd $50 miles below Quebec,
near the Gulf of st. Lawrence, over
which they had spent q portion Of
the night. The road was 200 miles
away from any other road or ciyiliza-
ton. They rode to Quebec on IA
blackboard, driven by a French Cam
adian. Mr.. Holden always attribute
ed their lucky descent to qn intcrpo-
sition Of divine providence.
In an ascension he made in Au-
gust, 1873, from Burlington, Iowa,
he was caught in a thunder storm,
and came near being struck by
lightning. The expansion Of the
air acted ON the balloon and drove
the gas from the neck onto his head
and through the open valve with
terrific velocity. lie had q thrilling
descent through the clouds, and on
reaching the earth went crashing
through trees, landing twelve miles
from where he assembled, having
been driven back by the storm. Til,
whole trip consumed thrcc-quartcr
of an hour
AN AERIAL BRIDAL TRIP.
On the Fourth July Of thcsan,
year he took a party Of seven, in
Guiding two bridal couples, owe
Lake Erie from Cleveland. Tn
balloon sailed over the lake to But
ialo, whore it struck a bark curen
and returned, passing Cleveland
gradually approaching the Canad.
shore, which it struck at Point Al
Pole. Il then crossed a strip G